William Carey and the birth of modern missionary work

William Carey -- Father of Modern Missions

William Carey

Britain

Moravians

India

Modern Missions

William Carey, a Baptist preacher, is considered to be the Father of Modern Mission. Carey believed absolutely that the Word of God was to be taken to all nations, devoted his own life to this endeavor, and challenged other believers to engage in this sacred work. In terms of sheer numbers of converts, Carey's accomplishments would be considered small, particularly when measured against the standards in place today. William Carey demonstrated that one man's vision be the catalyst for a movement that will serve God and others in s manner that adheres to the great commission. When Carey first made his ideas about carrying the Word to people around the world, he was told by his ministering peers to sit down and give up the unrealistic and non-mandated idea. But Carey's vision stood fast on the foundation of his spiritual beliefs and discipline. With the help of other motivated and like-minded men, he was able to carry his personal vision for missionary work forward, and in so doing, became known as the Father of Modern Missions. This discussion addresses the linkage between the Moravian influence and missionary work, Carey's experiences in Britain and India, as well as a brief articulation of modern missionary work as derived from Carey's lifelong efforts.

A person who gives himself wholly to mission work experiences a personal, internal drive that must carry them through the difficult period of early learning and an enduring, essential discipleship. Carey's life was both arduous and rewarding, filled with both defeat and victory[footnoteRef:1]. He was sustained in his mission work by other similarly dedicated individuals who took mission work seriously, throwing themselves into the work, and yet, and allowing God to lead the way[footnoteRef:2]. Their stories add color and richness to Carey's narrative, and provide the fascinating framework for the beginning of mission work in an environment that did not hold it to be a necessary duty of Christians. [1: Carey, S. Pearce - William Carey "The Father of Modern Missions," edited by Peter Masters, Wakeman Trust, London.] [2: Carpenter, John, (2002) New England Puritans: The grandparents of modern Protestant missions. Fides et Historia, 30(4), 529.]

II. Britain

Carey was apprenticed as a cobbler at the age of 14, and began to learn this early occupation in the village of Piddington, Northamptonshire. He learned from Clarke Nichols, his master in the trade and a churchman like himself, but Carey was exposed to other religious views during this time, as well. A young apprentice named John Warr was Dissenter who would eventually influence Carey to leave the Church of England to help establish a small Congregational church in a nearby village of Hackleton. With the death of Nichols in 1779, Carey began working as a cobbler for another local shoemaker named Thomas Old. Two years later, Carey married Old's sister-in-law, a woman named Dorothy Plackett. When the shoemaker Old died, Carey was positioned to take over the business, thus catapulting his status from humble cobbler to shoemaker and a respected position in the community. Though largely self-educated, Carey had became an accomplished polyglot who moved comfortably with other educated men of his time, Carey was sought by leaders in the church to preach to their congregations.

In 1795, Carey became a local teacher in a village school and was appointed to be a pastor in the Baptist church. A few years before Carey assumed these duties, he and other Baptists of the time were influenced by a pamphlet entitled The Gospel Worthy of All Acceptation, which was written by Andrew Fuller, a friend of Carey's.[footnoteRef:3] The thesis of the pamphlet was a popular Calvinist belief that not all men would be held responsible for believing in the Gospel. By 1786, Carey was situated in the Baptist church sufficiently well to bring up this issue about the Christian duty of spreading the Gospel. He was soundly dismissed by John Collett Ryland, who reportedly said, "Young man, sit down; when God pleases to convert the heathen, he will do it without your aid and mine." [3: William, C. "An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians, to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathens, in which the Religious State of the Different Nations of the World, the Success of Former Undertakings, and the Practicability of Further Undertakings, are Considered" (Leicester, England, 1792; facsimile ed. with introduction, London: Carey Kingsgate Press, p. 11. 1961]

Three years after this significant meeting of ministers, Carey was appointed to a full-time position as pastor of Harvey Lane Baptist Church in Leicester, England. Carey's religious thinking continued to be influenced by his interest in eschatology, which contributed to his determination to carry the Gospel to all people. In 1792, Carey released what was to become a watershed document for the Church and for Carey's future. The short book five-part book, An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians to use Means for the Conversion of the Heathens, was an historical accounting of missionary activity, that provided relevant statistics, functioned as a theological justification for missionary activity, and served to answer the popular objections to missionary work. The fifth and final part of the book was a call to action directed at the Baptists to form a missionary society -- complete with practical ideas about funding support. The foundational ideas for Carey's missionary objectives were that there is, in fact, a Christian obligation to spread the Gospel throughout the world, that it was incumbent on missionaries to be good stewards of resources made available to them, and that all mission work should be based on accurate information. Some time after the publication of this book, Carey preached a sermon based on Isaiah 54:2-3 and forever associated this epigram with his legacy: "Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God." [footnoteRef:4] [4: Miller, Paul. "An Assessment of Cooperative Evangelical Catholic Work," Transformation, 23/4 October 2006]

II. Moravians

The Christian group known as the Moravians was small in absolute numbers but large in terms of influence on missionary work and modern Christianity. Evidence of the Moravian influence can be seen in the work of both William Carey and John Wesley. In fact, many Moravian ideas and innovations, often associated with their concerted missionary work, are evident today.

The Moravians established settlements during the 18th century throughout England during the Evangelical Revival.[footnoteRef:5] Their settlement congregations could be found at Fulneck in Yorkshire, at Fairfield near Manchester, and at Ockbrook in Derbyshire.[footnoteRef:6] The geographical relationship between the Moravians and Carey is evident as settlements were established in towns near Carey's residence, such as Towester, and Nottingham by 1741 and Northampton by 1769. [footnoteRef:7]In 1792, Carey made the first written mention of the Moravians, in which he asserted that the command to preach to everyone around the world was still a valid claim that could only be excused if it was impossible to achieve.[footnoteRef:8] Carey claimed that it was not impossible, citing the missionaries who have surmounted other difficulties "generally thought to be insuperable."[footnoteRef:9] Carey added punch to his argument with this rhetorical question: "Have not the missionaries of the Unitas Fratrum or Moravian Brethren, encountered the scorching heat of Abyssinia, and the frozen climes of Greenland, and Labrador, their difficult languages, and savage manners."[footnoteRef:10] The clincher to this argument was that Carey emphasized that English traders had already shown that it is possible to travel the globe -- to get around in the world.[footnoteRef:11] Moreover, some experts propose that Carey first thought of the idea of establishing a mission society because[footnoteRef:12]e he read the Moravian's missions magazine.[footnoteRef:13] [5: Schattschneider, 1998.] [6: Ibid.] [7: Ibid.] [8: Ibid.] [9: Ibid.] [10: Ibid.] [11: Ibid.] [12: Ibid.] [13: Mulholland, 1999, p. 221.]

A group of believers who were originally followers of Jan Hus, a 15th century pre-reformer who was known as the Church Reformer, established the Moravian Church in Bohemia in 1457.[footnoteRef:14] Jan Hus is often regarded as the first Protestant as he challenged the authority of the Vatican and the Pope with his belief that the Scriptures were the highest authority.[footnoteRef:15] Jan Has rejected the idea of living according to a set of doctrines established by the Catholic Church.[footnoteRef:16] Rather, he emphasized living a life of simplicity and worship in obedience to Jesus Christ. For his heretical beliefs, he was burned at the stake in 1415.[footnoteRef:17] [14: Ibid.] [15: Ibid.] [16: Ibid.] [17: Ibid.]

Following the death of Hus, 42 years later, a village community was established according to the example provided by the early Christian church. Ibid.[footnoteRef:18] The ideals upon which this community was established included living in harmony and brotherly love, with a ministerial order modeled after the understandings of the community members with regard to the early Christian church.[footnoteRef:19] The village community rejected the priesthood and the Papacy, essentially establishing a strongly ecumenical Protestant Episcopal Church.[footnoteRef:20] [18: Ibid.] [19: Ibid.] [20: Ibid.]

The members of the Moravian Church in Central Europe were persecuted for nearly 200 years, a period that culminated in such intense persecution that the members were forced to practice in secret, essentially going underground as they sought a place of refuge.[footnoteRef:21] By 1722, the brethren of the Moravian Church had come to Saxony to settle on the estate of Count Nicholas Lundwig von Zinzendorf. This settlement was known as Herrnhut, and it became the first Moravian Church in England. In Zinzendorf, the Moravian brethren found a champion and protector; Zinzendorf declared that the Moravians were "truly unprejudiced against their Fellow Sisters (other churches) never taking part in their quarrels, never judging any Body, or its members." [21: Ibid.]

As the Moravian influence in England continued to grow, it reached esteemed religious pioneers like John Wesley.[footnoteRef:22] In fact, as the Moravian societies settled in England, many of them remained with the Church of England, attending the local parish churches.[footnoteRef:23] The separation of the Moravian brethren into a distinct Church came about less by intention and more by the drive for greater spiritual depth in their religious practice.[footnoteRef:24] Primarily for this reason, the Moravian Church continued as a small denomination, which was recognized in 1749 as "an ancient, protestant, episcopal church" by an Act of Parliament.[footnoteRef:25] [22: Ibid.] [23: Ibid.] [24: Ibid.] [25: Ibid.]

Eventually, Herrnhut became a center for mission work, and as the organization grew, missionaries were sent to carry the Gospel to native populations of Labrador, North America, the West Indies, and places like Serampore.[footnoteRef:26] The overarching non-proselytizing policies of churches in England eventually drove a group of Anglican clergymen to seek assistance from the Moravian Church -- the purpose of this outreach was to reduce the spiritual poverty that members of early 18th century churches in England were experiencing.[footnoteRef:27] [26: Ibid.] [27: Ibid.]

Though it took concerted and patient effort, Carey was eventually able to overcome what seemed to be ubiquitous resistance to mission work. In October 1792, the Particular Baptist Society for the Propagation of the Gospel Amongst the Heathen (Baptist Missionary Society) was established.[footnoteRef:28] The charter members included Andrew Fuller, John Ryland, John Sutcliff, and William Carey.[footnoteRef:29] The group quickly set to work raising funds and determining where to begin their first missionary work. Learning of a medical mission in Calcutta led by Dr. John Thomas, who happened to be in England raising funds for his own missionary endeavor, the charter members of the Particular Baptist Society for the Propagation of the Gospel Amongst the Heathen agreed to fall in with Thomas and support his work.[footnoteRef:30] Carey was to accompany Thomas to India.[footnoteRef:31] [28: Ross, Stephen. "William Carey," The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge... New York: Funk and Wagnalls Company, 1908. ] [29: Ibid.] [30: Ibid.] [31: Ibid.]

V. Modern Missions

Carey's influence on the modern mission has been felt around the globe, and particularly in America. On their way to India, modern missionaries stay with Baptists in America, and their missionary zeal is seeded into the contemporary society. As a theological missionary, Carey was committed to the Doctrines of Grace and the Great Commission. An uninspired speaker, Carey referred to himself as a "plodder for Christ." With measured and sure forward steps, Carey led the way for missionaries and their converts to come.

VI. Conclusion

The dedication and action of early missionaries were driven by a theological belief referred to as postmillennialism[footnoteRef:34]. Although the theological view is not as popular today, it was a point of much debate and congregational schisms at the time when Carey was just establishing himself as a parishioner and minister in the Congregational and Baptist churches. The postmillennialist view holds that Jesus Christ established His kingdom on earth in the 1st century, gave the Gospel to His Church, empowered the Church with the Spirit, and charged the Church with the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19) to disciple all nations of the world[footnoteRef:35]. An aspect of this theology that surely sustained Carey is the belief that the Gospel will create changes in the affairs of humans and nations sufficient to enable attributes such as faith, peace, prosperity, and righteousness to prevail[footnoteRef:36]. Following this extended time, the world will see Jesus Christ will return in visible glory to bring about the general resurrection, the final judgment, and to end history with the eternal order.[footnoteRef:37],[footnoteRef:38] [34: Kennedy, D. James. "William Carey: Texts That Have Changed Lives," Truth in Action Ministries. [Video]. ] [35: Ibid.] [36: Miller, David W. "God at Work: The History and Promise of the Faith at Work Movement," Oxford University Press.] [37: Kennedy, op. cit.] [38: Miller, David W. "God at Work: The History and Promise of the Faith at Work Movement," Oxford University Press. p. 28. 2006]

Carey firmly believed the postmillennialism theological tenant that over time a majority of people living would be saved.[footnoteRef:39] It was a belief that drove his missionary efforts from the earliest time to his last days in India. Carey and a small group of missionaries accomplished a Herculean task over a lifetime of honoring the Grand Commitment. [39: Ibid.]

VII. References

Author. William Carey: A Baptist Page Portrait," Wholesome Words, Worldwide Missions. 2001 [Webpage]. Retreived www.baptistpage.com

Carpenter, John, (2002) New England Puritans: The grandparents of modern Protestant missions. Fides et Historia, 30(4), 529.

Carey, S. Pearce - William Carey "The Father of Modern Missions," edited by Peter Masters, Wakeman Trust, London. 1993 ISBN 1870855140

Kennedy, D. James. "William Carey: Texts That Have Changed Lives," Truth in Action Ministries. [Video]. Retreived http://www.truthinaction.org/

Loizides, Lex. "Dorothy Carey and the Cost of Mission," Church History [Blog]. January 4, 2011. Retrieved http://lexloiz.wordpress.com/category/william-carey/

Miller, David W. "God at Work: The History and Promise of the Faith at Work Movement," Oxford University Press. p. 28. 2006

Miller, Paul. "An Assessment of Cooperative Evangelical Catholic Work," Transformation, 23/4 October 2006. Retrieved http://themeaningofgo.org/docs/Miller.pdf

Mulholland, Kenneth B. "Moravians, Puritans and the Modern Missionary Movement."

Bibliotecha Sacra 156 (April-June 1999): 221-232.

Ross, Stephen. "William Carey," The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge... New York: Funk and Wagnalls Company, 1908. 2013 Retrieved WholesomeWords.org

Schattschneider, D.A. (1998). William Carey, modern missions, and the Moravian influence. International Bulletin of Missionary Research, 22(1), 4-8.

Smith, Christopher A. "William Carey, 1761-1834, Protestant Pioneer of the Modem Mission Era," in Mission Legacies: Biographical Studies of Leaders of the Modern Missionary Movement, ed. Gerald H. Anderson, Robert T. Coote, Norman A. Homer, and James M. Phillips (Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 1994), p. 245.

William, C. "An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians, to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathens, in which the Religious State of the Different Nations of the World, the Success of Former Undertakings, and the Practicability of Further Undertakings, are Considered" (Leicester, England, 1792; facsimile ed. with introduction, London: Carey Kingsgate Press, p. 11. 1961